Garment



June 26, 1962 s. l.. MAsTENBRooK 3,040,751

GARMENT Filed Feb. 19, 1960 www# United States Patent Oli ice iSlPatented .lune 26, 1962 3,040,751 GENT Sylvia L. Mastenbroek, Chicago,lll., assignor to Munsingwear, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporationof Deiaware Filed Feb. 19, 196%, Ser. No. 9,859 Claims. (Cl. 12S-529)This invention relates, generally, to Womens garments and it hasparticular relation to panty girdles.

Among the objects of this invention are: To provide an improved crotchconstruction for panty girdles; to provide for normally closing thecrotch opening and for opening it in a new and improved manner; toprovide overlapping crotch closing portions attached to the lowermargins of the front and rear portions of the girdle and to the adjacentdepending leg portions thereof; and to form the overlapping crotchclosing portions integrally with the adjacent leg portions of all-waystretch mesh fabric, with the crotch closing portions being morestretchable than the leg portions and more open and having selvagesalong the free sides.

Other objects of this invention will, in part, be obvious and in partappear hereinafter.

This invention is disclosed in the embodiment thereof shown in theaccompanying drawing. For a more cornplete understanding of the natureand 4scope of this invention reference can be had to the followingdetailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational View of a panty girdle in which thepresent invention is embodied;

FIGURE 2 is a View, in rear elevation, of the panty girdle shown inFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the overlapping crotch portions, onecrotch portion being shown drawn away from the other;

FIGURE 4 is a View, similar to FIGURE 3, but showing the orotch portionsin the normal overlapping crotch closing positions; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view, at an enlarged scale, taken generallyalong the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now particularly to the drawing, it will be observed that thereference character designates, generally, a panty girdle for womenswear. As is customary with such garments the panty girdle 10 is arrangedto enclose the lower abdominal area and the upper portions of the legs.The panty girdle 10 includes a front portion 11 which is preferablyformed of all-way stretch fabric having a panel insert 12 locatedcentrally therein that is not stretchable in either direction. It willbe understood that the panel insert 12can be omitted, that it can beformed of stretchable material or that the same material throughout canbe used for the front portion 11.

FIGURE 2 shows the back of the panty girdle 10 having a back portion 13of all-way stretch material with a panel insert 14 that also may beformed of all-way stretch material. A waist band '15 is seamed at 15a tothe upper edge of the back portion 13 and also tothe upper edge of thefront portion 11. In the particular embodiment shown the Waist band 15,which is of one-way stretch material, is secured at its ends to theupper sides of the panel insert 12.

It will be observed that leg portions 16 and 17 are formed integrallywith the front and back portions 11 and 13 so as to extend downwardlyover the upper portions of the thighs of the wearer. Leg bands `18'and19 are seamed at 18a and 19a to the lower edges of the leg portions 16and 17. The leg bands 18 and 19 may be formed of allway stretchmaterial.

Between the leg portions 16 and 17 there are positioned crotch pieceswhich are indicated, generally, at 22 and 23. As shown more clearly inFIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings these crotch pieces 22 and 23 aresubstantially square in shape and they are formed of all-way stretchmaterial of mesh fabric. The crotch pieces 22 and 23 have outer crotchpiece portions 24 and 25 which form the major portions thereof and areseamed at 24a and 25a to the juxtaposed edges of the leg portions 16 and17. In effect the outer crotch piece portions 24 and 25 constituteextensions of the depending leg portions 16 and 17.

Formed integrally with the outer crotch piece portions are overlappinginner crotch piece portions 26 and 27.

These inner crotch piece portions 26 and 27' are knit integrally withthe outer crotch piece portions 24 and 25 but are of a more open meshand are more stretchable. It will be observed that the inner crotchpiece portions 26 and 2-7 are of elongated rectangular shape with` thecrotch piece portion 27 overlying the crotch piece portion 26 whiletheir ends are seamed at 28 and 29 to the lower margins of the front andrear portions 11 and 13 of the panty girdle 10. Also it will be observedthat the front ends of the kinner crotch piece portions 26x and 27 areseamed to the lower margin of the panel insert 12 when it is used.

For maximum comfort selvage edges 30 and 31 are provided on the loweredges of the outer crotch piece portions 24 and 25. Likewise selvageedges 32 and 33 are provided along :the free edges of the inner crotchpiece portions 26 and 27.

The crotch pieces 22 and 23 are knitted of rubber yarn or elastomers ofa type having extra elongation with the selvage edges 30-31 and 32-33-Since they are not hemmed ybut are provided with selvage edges, they canbe stretched to their full elongation. Normally the inner crotch pieceportion 27 overlies the crotch piece portion 26 so that the crotchopening is closed as shown in FIG,- URES 1 and 2 of the drawing. Theselvage edges 32 and 33 can be grasped with the lingers and pulled asideto y uncover the crotch opening. FIGURE 3 shows the inner crotch pieceportion 27 pulled aside in this manner. By simultaneously moving theselvage edges 32 and 33 apart a large area of crotch opening is exposed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A panty girdle having front and rear portions for engaging the lowerabdominal area and depending leg portions with a crotch openingtherebetween, and first and second generally rectangular crotch closingportions; said rst crotch closing portion being joined along one side toone leg portion, at one `end to the lower margin of said front portion,at the other end to the lower margin of said rear portion, and having a`free side extending toward the other leg portion; said second crotchclosing portion overlying said iirst crotch closing portion throughoutits entire length, being joined along one side to said other legportion, at one end to said lower margin of said front portionconjointly with said one end of said lirst crotch closing portion, atthe other end to said lower margin of said rear portion conjointly withsaid other end of said first crotch closing portion, and having a freeside extending toward said one leg portion.

2. A panty girdle having front and rear portions for engaging the lowerabdominal area and depending leg portions with a crotch openingtherebetween, and first and second generally rectangular crotch closingportions; said irst crotch closing portion being joined along one sideto one leg portion, at one end to the lower margin of said frontportion, at the other end rto the lower margin of said rear portion, andhaving a free side extending toward the other leg portion; said secondcrotch closing portion overlying said rst crotch closing portionthroughout its entire length, being joined along one side 'to said otherleg portion, at one end to said lower margin of said front portionconjointly with 'said one end of said first crotch closing portion, atthe other end to saidrlower margin of said rear portion conjointly withsaid other end of said first crotch closing portion, and having a freeside extending toward saidY one leg portion; and free sides of saidiirst and second crotch portions having selvages.

3. A Apanty girdle having front and rear portions for engaging the lowerabdominal area and depending leg portions with a crotch openingtherebetween, and iirst and second generally rectangular crotch closingportions; said iirst crotch closing portion being joined along one sideto one leg portion, at one end to the lower margin of said frontportion, at the other end to the lower margin of said rear portion, andhaving a free side extending toward the other leg portion; said secondcrotch closing portion overlying said irst crotch closing portionthroughout its entire length, being joined along one side to said otherleg portion, at one end to said lower margin of said front portionconjointly'with said one end of said first crotch closing portion, atthe other end to said lower margin of said rear portionconjointly withsaid other end of said rst crotch closing portion, and having a freeside extending toward said one leg portion; said first and second crotchportions being formed of all-Way stretch material whereby said freesides thereof can be pulled apart to uncover said crotch opening.

4. A panty girdle having front and rear portions for engaging 'the lowerabdominal area and depending leg portions with a crotch openingtherebetween, and first `and second generally rectangular crotch closingportions;

said iirst crotch closing portion being joined along one side to one legportion, at one end'to the lower margin of said front portion, at theother end to the lower margin of said rear portion, and having a freeside extending toward the other leg portion; said second crotch closingportion overlying said first crotch closing portion throughout itsentire length, being joined along one side to said other leg portion, atone end to said lower margin of said front portion coniointly with saidone end of said iirst crotch closing portion, at the other end to saidlower margin of said rear portion conjointly with said other end i Y ofVsaid iirst crotch closing portion, andz having a free side extendingrtoward said one leg portion; said iirst and sec- Yond crotch portionsbeing formed integrally with the adjacent leg portions and of all-waystretch open mesh fabric, said crotch portions being fashioned of a knitfabric of a more open mesh thanrsaid adjacent leg portions.

5. A panty girdle having front and rear portions for engaging the lowerabdominal area and depending leg portions with a crotch openingtherebetween, and first and second generally rectangular crotch closingportions; said first crotch closing portion being joined along one sideto one leg portion, at one end to the lower margin of said frontportion, at the other end to the lower margin of said rear portion, andhaving a free side extending toward the other leg portion; said secondcrotch closing portion overlying said iirst crotch closing portionthroughout -its entire length, being joined along one side to said otherleg portion conjointly with said one end of said iirst crotch closingportion, at one end to said lower margin of said front portion, at theother end to said lower margin of said rear portion conjointly with saidother end of said first crotch closing portion, and having a free sideextending toward saidl one leg portion', said first and second crotchportions being formed integrally with the adjacent leg portions ofalldwar stretch open mesh fabric, and relatively more stretchable andmore open than said adjacent leg portions; said free sides of said irstand second crotch portions having selvages.

References Cited in the ilerof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,059,820 spain Nov. s, 1936 2,437,830 McAllister Mar. 16, 19482,476,585 Cohen July 19, 1949 2,522,009 Wohlman Sept. 12, 1950 2,529,115Thalman Nov.V 7, i950 2,687,525 Rutledge Aug. 31, 1954 2,875,763Marchisella Mar. 3, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 626,827 Great Britain Iuly 2l,1949

